Automatic flush-valve.



' No. 868,619. PATENTED OGT.15, 1907.: J. B. WILLIAMS & P. w. LANDELL.

AUTOMATIC FLUSH VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED D3019. 1905- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. WILLIAMS AND PETER W. LANDELL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNORS OF ONE ll'llhl) 'lO MONROE N. CALLENDER, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC FLUSH-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

To all whom it may concirm:

Be it known that we, JOHN B. WILLIAMS and PETER W. LANDELL, citizens ofthe United States, residing in the city and county 01' San Francisco andState of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Fli1sli-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

Our' invention relates to devices for automatically controlling theperiodic flow of pie-determined quantities of liquid under anapproximately uniform pressure.

Our especial object is to provide a compact, neatappearing, simple,practical flush valve for toilets and the like. I

It consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts,as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reierence to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section ofour invention. Fig. 2 is a section of same on line B-B of Fig. 1.

A represents a cylindrical casing having a piston chamber a in which therodless piston 2 is intermittently moved through the medium of thedifferences in fluid pressure created on its two sides.

The casing has a passage-way 3 at one end communicating through theinlet 4 with any suitable source of fluid pressure supply, as forexample the regular water main 4.

A second passage-way 5 is provided at the same end of the casing, andthis has an outletfi leading to any desired point of discharge.

The passage-way 3 communicates with one end of the piston chamberthrough the central port 7 and with V the opposite end of the samechamber through the port 8 in the sides of the casing.

The flow of liquid through port 8 may be adjustably controlled bysuitable means as the screw plug 9, which latter is normally protectedagainst being tampered with by the screw cap 10.

Each end of the chamber a has a separate outlet, just as it has aseparate inlet: The inlet 7is valved and the outlet at the other end ofthe chamber is valved, and the closing of these valves is effectedalternately by the piston 2. The valve for inlet? is carried by thepiston and is represented at 11. It is of suitable construction and isadapted to seat snug over the port 7 when the piston has moved its limitin that direction. The outlet from that end of the chamber a is throughthe port 12 directly into the passage-way 5.

The opposite end of the casing A is screw-threaded internally to receivea plug 13 which is ported as at 14 to provide an outlet from that end ofchamber a. This plug has a central outwardly-extendingthreaded-projection 15, through which a valve stem 16 is reciprocal.

The inner end of this valve stem carries a valve 17 projecting intochamber a and operable to open and close the eduction port 14. Suitablepacking 18 may be I provided to prevent leak from chamber a around thevalve stem.

The outer end of the valve stem carries a push button 19 which isoperable in the guard plate or washer 20 which latter is adapted to slipon over the projection 15 of plug 13 and to abut against the end of thecasing (i and to be held in place by the nut 21; suitable packing beinginterposed to prevent leak. If found necessary a light spring 22 may beemployed to aid in overcoming the friction of the packing around thevalve stem and insure the seating of valve 17 in the proper fashion.This spring however, is not essential.

Passage-way 23 is formed between the guard-plate or washer 20 and theplug. This passage-way is open to the port 14 through the lateral ports24 in the plug and communicates with the outlet chamber 5 throughtheport 25 in the side of the casing.

In operation with the parts assembled, the device is secured to the Wallby any suitable means and connected through inlet 4 with any appropriatesource of fluid pressure supply, as the main 4. The outlet port 6 issuitably connected with the receptacle to be filled or flushed.

Normally with the device in inoperative position the parts will be inthe position shown in Fig. l. with the valve 11 seating over theinduction port 7 and with the valve 17 closing the eduction port 14-.With the regulating valve 9 suitably opened, a constant fluid prcssurefrom the inlet 4 is maintained through the induction port 8 in chamber aon the front end of the piston 2.. Pushing in on the button 19 opens thevalve 17 and allows the water in the front end of the chamber a to passfreely outward through the eduction passages 14-2423 & 25 to thedischarge 6. The port 8 being much larger than the outlet passages 14,etc, the pressure on the front end of the piston is almost instantlyreleased, and the water entering through the port 7 quickly pushes thepiston across the chamber and up against the valve 17 to close it. Theseveral ports are so proportioned relatively, that the discharge fromthe front of the chamber will take place in the manner described, toclose the valve 17; whereupon the piston 2 will gradually be moved againtoward the back of the chamber through the differences in the fluidpressure on the two sides of the piston.

With the eduction valve 17 closed, the fluid pressure is exerted on thatside of piston 2, and since the eduction port 12 at the opposite end ofthe cylinder is always open there is created such a difference inpressures at the two ends of the chamber, as to cause the piston 2 tomove to the back of the chamber and close the valve iorm pressuremaintained at the source of fluid sup- .toward the rear to cause thevalve 11 to close port 7,

over the induction port 7. The valves 11 and 17 are of suitable materialand design and are adapted so as to fit upon their seats when closedthat no leak will take place through them.

The time that it takes for the piston to move back to close port 7corresponds to the amount of water that will periodically flow forflushing, or other purposes. The purpose of theregulating valve 9 is tocontrol this return movement of the piston 2 by allowing a greater orless quantity of water to pass through port 8. With a uniformfluidpressure through inlet 4, it is possible to so regulate the valve 9as to cause the piston to take a hall minute, or five minutes, more orless, to make its return traverse; meanwhile, so long as port 7 isuncovered, water is passing out through port 12 and into passage 5 andoutlet 6. Whenever the valve 11 closes over port 7 and with the valve 17closed, the operation oi the device ceases.

It will thus be seen that the device is self-acting, other than itsimply needs to be started by manually operating the eduction valve 17to open it. i

This apparatus may be used not only for flushing toilets and the like,but owing to its construction and the principle upon which it works itcan be adapted for a variety oi uses wherever it is desired toperiodically measure out pre-determinedquantities of liquid maintainedunder a fixed head. Thus in filling barrels the regulating valve 9 maybe so adjusted that with a uniply, a certain amount of liquid will flowthrough the ports 7125 & 6, while the piston 2 is returning to the backof the chamber after closing valve 17. The moment that the piston hasmoved the limit of its stroke further discharge ceases.

This apparatus is simple in its construction and mode of operation, andhas no mechanisms to get out of order, since everything is incased anddoes not depend on springs for its action. At the same time, in case oineeded repair or inspection the interior of the' device is easily gottenat.

The device is also neat in appearance and can be attached to any fixedsupport within convenient reach of the operator. It takes but verylittle room and can be connected direct with the source of water supply.

It is possible that various modifications in our invention may be madewithout departing from the principle thereof, and we do not wish to beunderstood as limiting ourselves, to our specific construction beyondwhat is required by a reasonable interpretation of our claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A [lush valve comprising outer and inner concentric cylindersseparated by an annular water space, a piston in the inner cylinder,said cylinders connected at one end, 1

at which end there are two water compartments, one an inlet compartmentand the other a discharge compartment, said compartments separated fromthe iuterior-of the piston cylinder by a partition, said partitionhaving two ports, one connecting the adjacent end of the piston chamherwith the discharge compartment and the other connecting the same end ofthe piston chamber with the inlet compartment, saidpiston having a valveto close the last named port, the opposite end of the piston chamberhaving an outlet port connected with said discharge chamber, a normallyclosed valve for said last named outlet port, and means to operate saidvalve.

2. A flush valve comprising outer and inner concentric cylindersseparated by an annular water space, a piston in the inner cylinder,said cylinders connected at one end, at which end there are two watercompartments, one an inlet compartment and the other a dischargecompartment, said compartments separated from the interior of the pistoncylinder by a partition, said partition having two ports, one connectingthe adjacent end if the piston chamher with the discharge compartmentand the other con necting the'same end of the piston chamber with theinlet compartment, said piston having a valve to close the last namedport, the opposite end of the piston chamber having an outlet portconnected with said discharge chamber, a normally closed valve for saidlast named outlet port,

means to operate said valve, a by-pass connecting said inlet compartmentwith the end of the piston chamber adjacent to said normally closedvalve, and a regulating valve in said by-pass operating to close in adirection contrary to the flow of the water through the by-pass wherebythe tendency of the current through the bypass is to cleanse the valveseat and prevent clogging.

3. A flush valve comprising outer and inner cylinders connected at oneend to inclose separate inlet and discharge compartments, said cylindersseparated by a water space having communication with said dischargecompartment, a piston in the inner cylinder, said compartment separatedfrom the space at the adjacent end 01. the piston cylinder by apartition, said partition having a port opening into each compartment, avalve on the piston to close one of said ports, a screw plug fitting theopposite end of the piston cylinder, open fluid connections between saidend of the piston cylinder and said inlet compartment, said plug havinga central reduced extension, a guardplate fitting said extension andremovably held thereto, ports in said plug opening into the pistonchamber, and a valve controlling fiow through said ports,

4. A flush valve comprising a piston chamber having an inlet and outletport at one end, a piston in the chamber having a valve arranged to seaton said inlet port, the opposite end of said chamber closed by a screwplug, a bypass connecting the space in said chamber between the pistonand said plug with the source of fluid pressure supply, said screw plughaving a reduced central extension, said plug having ports providing anoutlet for said chainber, a valve-closing said ports and closable bysaid piston, said valve having a stem slidable in said central extensionon the plug, a push button for operating the valve, and a guard for saidpush button, said guard reniovably held on said central extension andinclosing a drip compartment.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence oi": twosubscribing witnesses.

' JOHN B. WILLIAMS.

PETER W. LANDELL.

Witnesses H. E. LELAND,

C. C. ELSASSER.

